Track aligning devices



Oct. 14, 1969 ss ETAL 3,472,174

TRACK ALIGNING DEVICES Filed Jan. 12, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 14, 1969 p ss ET AL 3,472,174

TRACK ALIGNING DEVICES Filed Jan. 12, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Office 3,472,174 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 3,472,174 TRACK ALIGNING DEVICES Franz Plasser and Josef Theurer, both of Johannesgasse 3, Wien, Austria Filed Jan. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 697,519 Claims priority, application Austria, Jan. 23, 1967, A 632/67 Int. Cl. E01b 33/21, 33/06 US. Cl. 104-8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improvement to track aligning devices for the continuous alignment of tracks wherein the tracks are displaced by the application of lateral forces during the passage of the device from their position into a corrected position, wherein the difliculties encountered in gaining access for the tools in the zones of points, crossings and the like are eliminated, and wherein the aligning tools are constructed as Wheels with bilateral flanges overlying the rails on both sides.

DESCRIPTION The invention relates, as indicated to improved track aligning devices for the continuous alignment of straight or curved sections of track. The continuous alignment of track, wherein the lateral displacement of the track is performed without stopping the track aligning machine at certain reference points during the passage through a given track section, has the advantage that longer track sections can be aligned during a given unit of time than with the use of the intermittent alignment method.

It is a main object of the invention to provide improved aligning tools for transmitting the laterally directed aligning forces during the continuous alignment to the track.

It is a further object of the invention to improve the transmission of the transversely acting aligning force to the rails of the track in order to reduce the torque acting on the sleeper in consequence of the laterally acting forces and to prevent pivoting or lifting of the sleepers.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved power drive for the aligning tools acting on both sides of the track, in order to adapt the entire device to different track gauges or to changes in the track gauge.

In many respects, known devices for aligning tracks do not meet all requirements. They are in part complicated, in part very expensive, or else their operation is not fully satisfactory. Thus, a device for the continuous alignment of railroad track is described in US. Patent No. 1,742,- 951, in which wheels roll on the top of the rail head and along one side flank of the rail head, whereby the lateral aligning force is transmitted to the track. US. Patent No. 2,966,123 (Talboys) describes another device for aligning railroad track in which the lateral aligning force is transmitted to the track by grip chocks driven into the ballast between the sleepers; hydraulic rams rest on these chocks and serve to displace the track.

It is therefore a further object of the invention to simplify these known devices and to improve their operation and operating speed.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, and from the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the track aligning device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows on an enlarged scale the aligning tools of the track aligning device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the aligning tools of a track aligning machine, viewed in the direction of arrows III-III in FIG. 2, wherein two identical groups of aligning tools are associated with each rail.

FIGURE 1 shows a track aligning machine in side elevation. This machine comprises substantially a fixed base frame or chassis 2 with sets of front and rear wheels 2' and 2", respectively, and a superstructure 3, containing the driving units for the movement of the track aligning machine, as well as for the track tamping and aligning tools, described further below. In addition, the superstructure also houses the drivers cab and the necessary controls.

The track aligning machine of FIGURE 1 is associated with small trolleys 17, 18, 19 and 20; ropes, wires or the like, acting as chords, are anchored in these trolleys, and serve as reference lines for measuring the magnitude of the aligning movement of the track, for example, in accordance with the proposal of US. Patent No. 3,314,- 373. These small trolleys or trucks 17, 18, 19, 20 are connected with the main frame 2 by means of telescopic linkages. In addition, there are provided gripping rollers 22 for lifting the track, and arranged vertically adjustably by means of a cylinder-piston unit 26 on the front side of the track aligning device. In addition, the track aligning device is also provided with tamping tools 23 for tamping the track; these tamping tools 23 are mounted vertically adjustably on an overhanging part 25 of the frame of the machine. A monitoring device, not shown in detail, is provided for leveling the track; of this device only a part 24 is shown which rests via a support 28 on the track. These devices, namely the small truck or trolleys 17 through 20, the gripping rollers 22, the tamping tools 23 and the monitoring device 24 do not form part of the invention and are not, therefore, described in detail in the following description. Reference is made in this connection to the applicants prior US. Patents Nos. 3,192,870 and 3,211,109.

On the main frame 3 are provided, substantially in the longitudinal center, track aligning units 4 of which always one units is associated with each of the two rails 1 of the track. Each track aligning unit 4 comprises substantially a support arm 7, mounted via a ball-and-socket joint 6 pivotably on a bracket 5, connected rigidly, such as, e.g., by welding or bolting, with the main frame 2; two holders 9, projecting in the direction of travel slantingly toward the front and botttom, and towards the rear and bottom, respectively, and connected through joints 8 with the support arm 7; and wheels 10, located by means of shafts 10' in the said holders 9 and rotatably located in the shafts 10'. The leading and trailing ends of the holders 9, as viewed in the direction of travel, are equipped with lugs 11, forming hinge points for hydraulic units, comprising pistons 12 and cylinders 13. The upper ends of the said cylinders 13 are hinge-mounted on lugs 11' projecting on both sides from the support arm 7.

The wheels 10 roll on the top surface of the rail heads of the rails of track 1. They are provided with flanges 10a which overlie the rail head flanks on both sides and the profile of which is such as to enable them to rest flush on the flanks of the rail head and to transmit forces acting on the wheels (in the plane of FIG. 3) to the track 1. The radial width of these rail flanges 10a is such that they make contact with the flanks of the rail heads over their entire height or almost over their entire height. This ensures not only a uniform transmission of the force, but due to the usually upwardly converging flan-ks of the rails head, the application of the horizontal force gives rise to a vertically downwardly directed component which reacts beneficially on the aligning operation, as will be explained in greater detail further below. By means of their shafts 10', the wheels 10 are mounted exchangeably in the holders 9, so that different wheels may be mounted for different types of rails. The width of the wheels 10 is so selected that the wheel flanges 10a run on the rail head flanges with a certain amount of clearance.

Hydraulic piston-cylinder units 14, 15 are mounted on underside of the main frame 2 on a downwardly projecting part thereof, and are each associated with one of the lateral aligning units 4. As may best be seen from FIG- URE 3, these hydraulic piston-cylinder units 14, 15 are substantially horizontal; the inner ends of the cylinders 14, facing each other, are articulately mounted on the main frame 2, and the outwardly directed ends of the pistons 15 are hinged to the supporting arm 7. These hydraulic units 14, 15, communicate through conduits 14' with a source of pressure medium, e.g., a hydraulic pump, not shown, and located inside the superstructure 3, and are thereby delivered with the pressure medium. Similarly, the piston-cylinder units 12, 13 communicate through conduits 13 with this pressure source or with another pressure source arranged within the superstructure 3.

The operation of the device is as follows:

In the inoperative condition, the wheels 10 are pivoted upwardly in the holders 9, and out of engagement with the rails 1, owing to a corresponding application of the pressure medium to the pistons 12 in the cylinders 13. This position is indicated by dotted lines in FIGURE 2. When the device is to be operated, pressure medium is applied through the conduits 13 to the pistons 12 in the cylinders 13, causing the wheels 10 to be lowered on to the rails of the track 1. During the forward movement of the whole track aligning machine, the wheels 10 roll along the rails 1. When the track aligning machine reaches a part of the track which has been displaced from its correct position, the track is pushed by the force applied by the hydraulic units 14, 15 via the two lateral alignment units 4 in the direction of the correct track position, e.g., to the left as viewed in FIGURE 3. The direction of the deviation between real and correct positions of the track is measured by a measuring device, for example, the device disclosed in our prior Patent No. 3,314,373 already mentioned, and the direction of the force application is correspondingly controlled.

Under the load of the rails and sleepers, the points of the chips of the ballasting, supporting the sleepers, become embedded in the sleepers. Under the action of the lateral aligning force, these points are often merely pivoted and may return to the initial position when the lateral force ceases to act. Since so-called overcompensation is impossible with continuous aligning, i.e., an aligning in which the track is moved beyond the correct position to allow for a certain amount of reverse movement, special care must be taken to prevent the sleepers from being lifted and from shifting the sleeper support during the alignment.

To this end, it has been shown to be of particular advantage to exert, together with the lateral force acting through the wheel flanges 10a on the wheels 10, also a downwardly directed force acting on the wheels 10, and applied by the hydraulic piston-cylinder units 12, 13.

If the lateral aligning force P acts horizontally on the rail head flanks of the rails 1, it forms with the resistance force R, acting on the end faces of the sleepers 16, a rotary moment which tends to tilt the sleepers about the point of attack of the force R. The vertical forces applied through the hydraulic units 12 and 13 counteract this moment so that the horizontal position of the sleepers, and such the level of the track remain unchanged.

The magnitude of the vertical compressive force exerted on wheels 10 by the piston-cylinder units 12 and 13 is preferably functionally related to the magnitude of the laterally directed aligning force applied at the time, and amounts normally to about ,5 to of this laterally directed force.

The radial width of the flanges a of the wheels 10 is so selected as to enable travelling over frogs, switch toes, check rails, mountings, and the like of points or crossovers, without fouling the flanges. In addition, the extension of the pistons 15 in the cylinders 14 is such that the side faces of the wheels 10 or flanges 10a can be pressed from the inside or outside against the rail head flanges of the rails 1. This is of advantage for aligning points, crossovers, or check rails, guide rails and the like, and makes also possible an adaptation to different rail gauges or changes in the rail gauge.

The articulated mounting of the lateral aligning units 4 on the bracket-type supports 5 by means of a ball joint 6, the lateral aligning units 4 can be pivoted about a vertical and a horizontal axis. The pivoting about a vertical axis causes the uniform distribution of the lateral aligning force to both wheels 10 and prevents overloading and kinking of the rails 1. The figures show an embodiment comprising always two wheels 10 on the lateral alignment units. Obviously, however, also more than who wheels can be used in the form of a group, without thereby departing from the principles of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a track aligning machine including a device for continuous alignment of track, the improvement comprising the device for the continuous alignment of track including a wheel having a horizontal axis with flanges on both sides thereof to roll on the surface of a rail, wherein the said flanges are adapted in their profiles to the railhead and overlie the railhead over almost its entire height, a holder for receiving the said wheel located movably in the direction across the longitudinal direction of the rails in the main frame of the track aligning machine, and means for applying a force in the direction transversely of the track to the said wheel, wherein the direction and magnitude of the said force is controlled as a function of the position of the track.

2. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 1, the further improvement of two wheels, each being received in a holder, said wheels being offset relative to each other in a longitudinal direction of the track.

3. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 2, the further improvement of said wheels being mounted exchangeably in the said holders.

4. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 2, the further improvement of means for transmitting a downwardly directed force to the wheels being connected to said holders.

5. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 4, the further improvement of piston-cylinder units artic' ulated at one end to said holders and at the other end to said supporting arm for applying a vertically downwardly directed force.

6. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 5, the further improvement of said piston-cylinder units being hydraulically operated.

7. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 5, the further improvement of the force exerted by said piston-cylinder units downwardly on said wheels being always functionally related to the magnitude of transversely applied force and being preferably from about A to about of the transversely directed force.

8. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 1, the further improvement of said device for the continuous alignment of track being provided on both sides of the track alignment machine, each said device cooperating with its associated rail.

9. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 8, the further improvement of said devices having independent means for applying the said force directed transversely of the track.

10. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 9, the further improvement of said means for applying said force directed transversely of the track being supplied from a common energy source and controlled in common.

11. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 1, the further improvement of said holder being mounted on a supporting arm, articulately mounted on the track alignment machine, and pivotal in a vertical plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track.

12. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 11, the further improvement of said means for applying the force transversely of the track being connected articulately at one end to the supporting arm and at the other end to the underside of the base frame of the track aligning machine.

13. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 11, the further improvement of said supporting arm for supporting the holder being mounted on the track alignment machine by means of a universal joint and pivotal about horizontal and vertical axes.

14. In a track alignment machine as set forth in claim 1, the further improvement of a hydraulic piston-cylinder unit applying the force directed transversely to the track.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1967 Bick 1048 8/1967 Oville 1048 1 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,082,611 6/1960 Germany.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner 

